Before Coraline
by Clydell Humphries
Summary: What was the Beldam like before Coraline came into the picture and how did she become that way? Here's my version.
1. Chapter 1 I want to have fun

**Ok, this is basically what happens before Coraline came into the picture in my imagination. This is the Beldam's side of the story, I hope you enjoy! Based off the book.**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own _Coraline_ or any of it's characters. They belong to Neil Geiman.**

* * *

"Elizabeth!" my mother scolded, "That's the second time you haven't listened to me! Are you deaf?" I set down my needle and thread, suppressing a sigh.

"No, mother," I said, trying to explain my logic, "I just don't see a point in sewing! When I'm older do you really think I will remember all this? I will just pay somebody to sew for me, that way I will have more time to hav-"

"Don't talk to me about _fun_, Elizabeth!" my mother snapped, "When you are my age, married and a mother you will need to sew! As for _fun_, work, rest and _then _play. After you finish all the jobs there will be time for your nonsense!"

"But mother, I don't want to be married!" I complained, "Life would be dreadful!" She fixed me with an ice-cold stare, and I suddenly felt nervous, awaiting for her to speak to me.

"Go to your room, Elizabeth, and on your way tell Mary that it is her turn for a sewing lesson." It wasn't a request, it was an order.

I got up and ran out of the room, happy to get away. I shut the door and turned around. Mary was waiting outside the door, a sly grin on her face.

_Mary,_ the _good_ child. The one everybody _loved_. I didn't understand why, though. After all, she spent all her spare time sitting around, not wanting her precious clothes to get dirty. Now where was the fun in that?

"As you already heard, Mary," I said rudely, "It is time for your lesson now."

"Finished so soon?" my sister asked, with a hint of smugness in her voice. I ignored her and headed to my room. I sat down on my bed, thinking.

It just wasn't fair! Why did Mary and Mother hate me so much? I tried to be good, I really did. But how could I? After all, there were so many new things in this world to explore! How could they think about _sewing?_

I got up and decided to go outside, it would be better then sitting in here all day. I left my bedroom and crept as quietly as I could past the door that had my mother and sister behind it. But something made me stop. I pressed my ear against the door, hoping I hadn't heard correctly the first time.

"She has absolutely no manners!" my mother's impatient voice sounded through, "I thought that if I started the lessons it would help control her!"

"I am so dreadfully sorry, mother," I heard my perfect sister say, "I wish there were _something_ I could do. She is simply so... unladylike! I do wish she would stop wasting your time."

"Now, Mary," my mother scolded, "do not speak so unkindly of your sister. It isn't proper. But... in my heart I believe you." I backed away from the door in shock, a few lone tears running down my cheeks. I ran to my room, as fast and as silently as I could.

I hopped in my bed, snuggling under the covers, waiting for more tears to come. None did. As the old tears dried, I realized that I had a new emotion running through me.

Hate.

I was shocked. I dug my fingernails into my palms, trying to forget the evil thoughts.

_No, no! That is wrong! I can't hate mother, nor Mary! I am a wicked, wicked child! Mother was trying to teach me to be a lady. Mary, well... she was mean to me. But I don't hate them. No way! _the good side of me said.

_They don't love you!_ the meaner voice told me, _You heard them! They think you are nothing but a nuisance! I bet if you ran away they wouldn't even notice you were gone!_

Surprisingly, I found myself agreeing with the bad voice. I shook my head, trying to listen to the good voice.

_That's not true! They love you, Elizabeth, you know they do!_ the good voice explained. I tried to believe it, I really did. But no matter how hard I tried to comfort myself, it didn't work.

Why couldn't mother see that I just didn't like wearing stockings, or cooking, or reading quietly! Or speaking proper, or acting responsible and above all, sewing!

I just wanted to have fun.


	2. Chapter 2 The Door in Fathers Study

In the morning I got up early, as usual, just so I could go outside and explore the huge surroundings. But today I didn't feel like it, I had been doing that for the past year, and nothing had ever changed.

I decided to explore the inside of the house instead. I began to get excited, which room first? Not my room, I'd been in there enough times to know exactly what it was like. Not Mary's room either, she would yell at me for even setting a foot inside...

What about father's study? Yes! What a brilliant idea! I thought for a minute, my common sense taking over.

Mother wouldn't be happy. She had told myself and Mary many times to never to go messing around in his study, in case I should break something. She had said that father's study was his own personal room; not a playground. Of course, she had said this more to me than to Mary.

But what if I only looked, and didn't touch a thing? I'd only ever been in the study once, when I was just a little girl. But my memory was hazy; I couldn't remember anything. A voice in the back of my head told me to do it.

* * *

I crept out into the hall way, still dressed in my night gown. I paused, looking out the window. The sun had just barely risen of the horizon; nobody else would be up for at least another hour. I crept silently to the door and took a deep breath, this was it.

I slowly and carefully turned the rusted handle, trying to avoid making any noise. I looked around me carefully before slowly pushing the door open. I peered in, having no idea what to expect.

There was a desk, beautifully calved out of wood. It looked extremely grand, as well as expensive. Piled up on the desk was lots of paper, they looked like letters to me. There were also many maps of far off places, places I didn't even knew existed until then. As well as... a door that seemed to lead nowhere. It was placed the opposite side of the room to the desk, and it looked very mysterious. I couldn't help myself, I was about to step inside to inspect it when...

"What do you think _you're_ doing?" a familiar voice sneered behing me. I jumped with fright and spun around quickly. Mary was there, hands on hips and staring at me dangerously. "Elizabeth you naughty girl! Father's study is stricty off-limits! What were you thinking? Did you touch anything? Or even worse, _break_ anything?" Her dark green eyes drilled into me, demanding answers. I suddenly had a brainwave.

"Actually, I've done nothing wrong." I began. She looked at me in confusion.

"What on Earth are you talking about?"

"Mother has always told us not to set foot in father's study, correct?" Mary nodded, wondering where I was going with all this, "So, _technically_, I haven't disobeyed her." I pointed to my feet, and Mary looked down, "See? I haven't set foot in the study!" I said smugly, feeling triumphant. Mary's mouth was opening and closing just like a fishes would have. Eventually she found her voice.

"How about now?" she sneered. Before I could ask what she meant, she he pushed me roughly into the study. I wobbled and fell backward, crashing into the desk.

"You..." I gasped, picking myself up.

"I'm going to get mother." Mary told me. "You'll be in lots of trouble, look at all the mess you've made!" I looked around and realized that a lot of the papers had fallen from the desk. Immediately I was on my feet, scrambling to pick them up and put them back on the desk.

"No, Mary, please don't!" I pleaded. She shook her head, grinning. She skipped off gleefully, leaving me to dread the fate that was awaiting me. In panic I began thinking through the various options I had.

I could run back to my bedroom, deny the whole thing. But mother would believe Mary; she _always_ believed Mary. Maybe I could run outside and try to escape? No, I was still in my nightgown. Besides, I didn't have any shoes on.

I decided that the best thing to do was to hide. I immediately began searching for a hiding spot, but everywhere I looked was already taken up by books and paper. Then I saw the door.

Without thinking I ran over to it tried to open it, but it was locked. Beginning to become afraid, for I could here the footsteps of my mother approaching, I looked around, hoping to see the key anywhere. I moved the papers on the desk to see if it was under any of them, and to my glee it was there. I looked at the papers, feeling a little guilty that they were now scattered about. The only thought that consoled me was they weren't really in any particular order to begin with.

I shoved the key in the lock, turning it. I pulled the door open, and half expected to see the part behind it all bricked up. After all, where _could_ it lead? But it wasn't. Being the door was pure darkness, I couldn't see a think. I stepped inside, shivering slightly. I was about to shut the door when I remembered about the key. I quickly took it out and slammed the door shut, only seconds before I heard somebody enter the room.

To my luck, there was also a key hole on the other side of the door. Being as quite as possible, I locked it from the inside. That way mother wouldn't be able to open the door and see me.

With that all in place, I turned around. Everything around me was pitch black, save for a small speck of light coming in from the keyhole. I began walking, my arms out straight in front of me just in case I should hit a wall. I continued through this dark corridor, wondering where it would lead.

* * *

For ages it seemed it was just me and the darkness surrounding. But eventually, my hand came in contact with something cool. I felt it, wondering what it could be. It was a door. I frowned, that couldn't be right. I hadn't turned a corner once while I was walking, and I was fairly sure that the door I first went through was near the end of the house. So where was I now? Underground?

I put my ear close to the door, I couldn't hear anything. But wait, what was that?

I did hear a voice. A happy voice, humming along to some of my favourite tunes. it sounded friendly enough, but was it safe? Or was mother waiting on the other side, ready to punish me?

I decided that I should risk it. After all, I couldn't stay here forever. I tried pushing the door open, but it didn't budge. I frowned, then I realized that it was locked. I inserted my key into the lock and turned. Slowly, the door swung open, and to my shock I found myself back in father's study.

No I wasn't. This study was far to neat to be fathers. But it was so similar, yet completely different. I looked at the corkboard. It had pictures of carnivals and festivals, happy places instead of the sad, boring places in fathers original study. I looked around at everything else. In the bookshelf were some of my favourite books.

There was a man there too. He turned around, and I couldn't believe it. It was father! A giggle of happiness escaped me, father had always loved exploring with me! He noticed me and smiled broadly.

"Elizabeth! Darling you're home!" he told me happily, "I am so glad to see you!" I ran up into his arms and gave him a tight hugging, happy to feel his embrace once again. But then I stepped back. Something wasn't right.

The father I knew was somewhat... large, this was was tall and lean. The father I knew had also genuine smile. This one one seemed to be different. But the last difference was the biggest shock of my life.

He had black button eyes.

I leapt back in shock, trembling slightly.

"You aren't father." I told him in fear. I expected to be yelled at for my rudeness and be sent to my room, but to my surprise he smiled, chuckling lightly.

"Of course not!" he said kindly, "I am your Other Father, your better father. But now, it is time for dinner, so lets go!" He took my hand and lead me to the dining room.

I stopped. It was so... bright. The colours in the dining room back home where dull, pale colours. Here they were pretty, and I immidiatly felt happy. I saw mother. My Other Mother, I guessed. But she was different too. She had button eyes, so did Mary. They were both smiling at me kindly.

"Elizabeth! Sit down!" mother told me happily, "You look hungry! Let us enjoy our meal!" I looked at the meal in front of me. It was mouth watering roast beef. My other father smiled at me, but there was something wrong with it. The smile didn't quite reach his eyes. Well, buttons, anyway. I began shovelling the food into my mouth, but I still felt uneasy.

"Is something wrong Elizabeth?" my other father asked.

"No... well... yes." I admitted, with a mouthful of delicious roast beef, my favourite. I swallowed before continuing, "Where am I, excatly?"

"You're home, sweetheart!" my other father told me.

"Home?" I asked.

"Of course, silly!" Mary laughed. Her voice was different. Instead of the sneering goody two shoes act, she seemed like she was actually having fun talking to me. "Where did you think you were?"

"Well... I didn't really know." I told them, "Because I thought I was at home before I came here."

"Were you happy where you were before?" my other mother asked me. I hesitated.

"Well... it would be wicked to say I was unhappy, but sometimes I just wished I could be somewhere fun for a change." I told them carefully. She smiled.

"Well, that dream's come true! This is the funnest place on Earth!"

"Really?" I asked, hope in my voice.

"Yes! You can play all day and night here if you wish! You can do what you want and we won't mind the slightest!" the Other Father told me.

"Not at all!" said Mary. I was filled with happiness. Finally, a family that loved me.

The Other World did feel like home.


	3. Chapter 3 Tranformation

It had been two days since I'd arrived there and I had loved every minute of it. Father (I didn't bother saying other anymore) took me out exploring every morning (or what seemed like morning). It was always nightime here, which was strange, but nice in a way. The stars shone extra brightly all the time, it was beautiful. My room changed daily with new toys to play with. Mary played with me, which was nice, but I preferred it when it is just me and father. My Other Mother made delicious food, sometimes dessert for dinner! Everyone was kind to me, and for the first time in my life, I felt loved.

"Elizabeth!" my Father called, "We have a present for you!" I ran into the lounge room, with the comfy chairs, unlike at home (I wasn't not sure where home was, anymore). My Father was there, so was my Other Mother and Mary.

"Yes?" I asked, excitedly. Everyday I could expect new and exciting presents from my family, I wondered what this one was.

"Are you happy here?" Father asked me. I stared at him, was that even a question?

"Oh, yes father, very! I love it here!" I told him happily.

"Would you want to say here forever?" he offered. My heart leaped in the air a mile.

"Of course!" I told him, bouncing up and in excitement, "For ever and ever and ever!" He smiled.

"Ok then!" he told me, "There's just one problem. You are different from us. If you are to stay, we must all be the same." I was puzzled, how was I different? He handed me a box wrapped with a tied on top. I opened it and stared at the things inside. There was a needle, with thread, and two buttons. I groaned.

"I don't have to learn to sew, do I?" I questioned him. He laughed merrily

"Oh, no, my dear. We will do all the sewing for you!" he promised. I stared into his button eyes., then looked at the buttons in the box. It all sunk in.

"No..." I murmured in disbelief. Could he really be asking this from me?

"It's ok, darling. It doesn't hurt a bit." my Other Mother promised, "Once they're on you can stay here forever!"

"We can play games!" Mary told me happily.

"There will be new worlds for you to explore each day!" my Father told me.

"I will cook whatever you want me to!" said my Other Mother. They stared at me, waiting for an answer. I lookd away and thought.

_It won't hurt, you can stay here forever! It will be wonderful! You can trust them!_ the nastier voice in my head told me.

_But what if it's a hoax? _the sensible side asked, _What if it's all a big lie? You should leave now, Elizabeth. _I decided to ignore the second voice.

I turned back to them and sighed, nodding my head. "Ok... but make it quick." I mumbled to them, my voice tight. My Other father smiled and took the needle and thread out of the box. I squeezed my eyes shut in fear. I was about to open them, to say I couldn't do it, when I felt the needle go through. It didn't hurt, but I knew it was there. It was an very uncomfortable feeling.

One button was sewn onto my eye. Then the other. And before I knew it, it was all over.

"It's over, Elizabeth. You can open your buttons now!" my fathers voice said.

* * *

Day 1: After father sewed on the buttons I felt... different. I didn't know why, but I didn't feel like playing anymore. It was like I'm was... emotionless.

Day 2: I stayed in my room today. What has happened? I feel so... empty.

Day 3: Father hadn't checked on me. Why? I thought he loved me! Come to think of it, I didn't see him yesterday either... I wonder where he'd gone.

Day 4: I don't remember who am I anymore, but I remember Mother. How could I have been so selfish? You wicked, wicked child, Elizabeth!

Day 5: I am so sorry.

* * *

I've been here a long time. Not as long as any of the others, but long enough to be sick of the same prison I was kept in.

After I forgot who I was, my soul disappeared from my body. And then I was a ghost. There were others with me now, and they explained to me sadly what had happened. How I'd been tricked, along with them. How they had all gone through the same torture as me. What happened on this day was quite strange, though, and I don't think any of us were expecting it.

The Other Father entered the prison. That's what I had called it, anyway. He hadn't changed since he was my father, he looked exactly the same. Of course, now he wasn't wearing the smile he used to. He had a cold, hard expression on his face that made me quiver with fright.

He looked around at all us ghosts. I knew that we were all choosing to remain invisible; whatever he was up too wouldn't be good. But I somehow had the feeling he knew where we were.

"You may not believe it, ghosts," he spat eventually, "but I can see you. I _know_ you're here." The rest of the ghosts wailed, but I chose to stay silent. Something in his voice made me eager to listen. "I am giving one of you the chance to return to your old state. Better in fact." he paused for a second. "Only one of you. And it will cost. Come to me now if you wish."

My heart leaped, just as it had done when he had given me the box with the buttons inside. A chance to escape? A chance to get out of the cold, dark prison and see the light once again? _And it would cost..._ he words ran through my mind. I shook my head, trying to ignore it. Surely returning to life would be worth whatever he wanted from me?

A new chance... a chance to get away from the eternal doom ahead of me? I decided to take him up on the offer.

Without thinking I glided over to him. I heard the other ghosts wail in protest.

"It's a trap! Go back!" they warned me, but I didn't listen. The Other Father smiled, grabbing hold of my arm. I was surprised that he could, until now I was able to glide through anything and everything.

"Come, Elizabeth," he ordered, "time to transform." Oh, that was my name. Elizabeth.

He pulled me through the wall, and I half expected to be burnt by the light. But I wasn't. I could actual feel the cool air around me. I looked around and completely despised my surrounded. It was my home, or my 'Other' home. The place that had made me let him sew the buttons.

"I am giving you a very rare oppotunity, here." the Other Father told me, bringing me out of my trace. "So listen. I have returned you to your old state, but my work isn't done yet. Before I continue you must promise me that you will do as I say once it's over." I knew there was a catch, but I didn't care. I nodded carefully, staring up into his button eyes.

"I will." I promised him. Immediately a soft glow began to surround me. I looked down at myself in wonder, confused as to what was going on. I suddenly felt a sharp pain inside me. It seemed to rip open my insides and take away part of me. I let out a small scream and collapsed to my feet. Eventually the pain faded away, and I felt strong again.

No... I felt stronger. I stared up at him in a mixture of admiration and fear. He grinned slyly.

"Now, you made a promise. You must keep it." he warned me. I nodded, suddenly very afraid. "How do you feel right now?" I thought about that.

"Stronger." I said, "But... it feels as if a part of me is missing." He nodded happily.

"Then it worked." he said simply, "I have made you one of my kind, I took your heart out of you, yet you still live." I looked at him in shock and horror. Carefully, I checked my pulse. There was nothing.

"How..." I murmured to myself. The Other Father continued.

"But, as I said before, you must now do as I say." Fear gripped me, he could make me do anything. _Anything._ I nodded, somewhat unsure, but I knew I had made a deal. "You are now my apprentice." he announced, "I will teach you how to make your own world, trap a child and drain the power from them." I stared at him dumbfounded, unsure what do say. Only one though seemed to be running through my mind.

What had I done?

* * *

I looked at myself in the mirror, concentrating hard on what I was supposed to be doing. Suddenly, my fingernails grew, so did I. My hair became shorter and the red curls that used to be changed into dark brown waves.

This wasn't the first time I had changed my appearance since I had become his apprentice. I had been able to do it for months, but this time it was different. It the the day of the testing, the day the determined whether or not I was ready to leave. I was up to my last challenge. I looked over at the Other Father and he nodded.

"Well done. Lastly, you will change the world around you." he requested, "Make it funner and brighter, a happier place for the child." I nodded weakly, knowing how to do this. It was the exact same process as changing my appearance; all I had to do was concentrate.

"I could never trap a child." I told him, not for the first time. He pouted, looking at me with annoyance.

"Believe me, you will eventually." he threatened, "You see, if you don't use the energy from a child, you will get weaker and weaker. Unless you want to be trapped in a pit of nothing for the rest of eternity, unable to do anything, you will do as I say. There is no cure for what you are. You have to live with it."

"Whatever." I told him. I had no will to be polite anymore. I looked around me, wondering what I could transform the room into. Suddenly an idea came to mind.

I imagined it changing into my home. My real home. At first I had to remember what my real home looked like, I had little memory of it. After searching my mind for a while, I found the thoughts of it, locked away into a little corner of my mind. I let them out and concentrated my hardest on them, determination running through me.

The room I was in became my true Father's study. I looked around, somehow missing the dullness of it all. I smiled for the first time in ages, and I found it was an odd sensation. I knew I probably looked stupid, my lips felt tight, like they weren't supposed to be doing what they were. My Other Father sighed in annoyance.

"No child would want to live there." he told me. I shook my head.

"Wrong," I replied, "I do." He looked at me before turning away, thinking hard. I suddenly felt nervous, awaiting his decision.

Did I want to pass, to be able to leave? Or would I be better off stalling for time, just sticking with training.

It felt like hours later that he turned back to me, an unreadable expression on his face.

"You have passed." he announced, "However there is one more thing you must do." I nodded slowly, wondering what it could be. "You must prove to me that you are capable of capturing a child. You must do this by taking the heart of another and showing it to me." I thought about this, wondering if I could just sneak into the hospital and take somebody's heart... somebody who was already dead.

It seemed as if the Other Father was reading my mind. He continued on.

"You will not chose who you kill, you have no chose. It must be your Mother's heart, nobody else's." explained the Other Father casually, "And trust me, I will know whether or not you have done as I requested." Hatred ran through me.

"NO!" I yelled in angst. I couldn't, I wouldn't do it!

"You must." he told me gleefully, "Or I will leave you here and find another house to create a world in. You will no longer be sharing my power, you will lose all your energy." I groaned. "You have no choice. You must leave this world and find your mother. You _will_ kill her and take her heart, then bury her." he said. He stared at my with his awful black buttons. I stared back at him.

"I _hate_ you." I said coldly. He grinned.

"Believe me, I know."


	4. Chapter 4 The Beldom we Know

So I did it.

I entered the real world and killed her. I remembered stepped out of my father's study and making my way to her. She was in the kitchen, making supper. I watched her turn around.

She had become different. What used to be a younger, quite pretty face was now an older, sadder face. She looked at me and screamed, dropping the bowl to the ground. She studied me, unable to believe her eyes.

"Elizabeth...?" she whispered, taking a step toward me. I had tensed, my most hated memories coming back to me. All the times she'd yelled at me, all the times she'd called me useless... even the time that'd I'd heard her and Mary talking about me. I couldn't take it anymore. "What has happened to you?" my mother had asked, unaware of the thoughts in my mind. Suddenly, I pounced.

Her screams had echoed through the house.

I carried her outside, wondering if she was truly dead. To be honest I didn't really want to know. I dug a hole, making it quite deep. After it was finished I wiped a bead of sweat from my forehead and dropped her in the hole, filling it back up. I sat by it for a long time, reflecting upon what I had done.

After a long time I began to see a disturbance on the top of the Earth. I was startled, and even more so when I saw a hand break through the surface. I gasped in terror and backed away as my mother resurfaced, coughing and spluttering.

"Elizabeth!" she screeched, the same way she'd done all those years ago. Anger went through my body, and I realized what I'd forgotten. I advanced upon her again, knowing what I had to to.

I suddenly changed my transformation, making my fingernails grow even longer then they were. I ran my finger down her front, making a deep wound. My mother began screaming once more.

Quickly, I took out her heart. She saw me do this, and a shocked expression appeared on her face. Then suddenly, she went limp.

* * *

My Other Father was proud of me. He found me a house to create my own world in. Somewhere called the Pink Palace.

It was huge. It was actually separated into four different parts, for the house was too big for one person along to live in. There was a door at the end of the hallway, in one of the apartments, my guess was that it was where two parts of the house used to join.

Behind that door, in the space of nothing, I created my world. I hadn't seen the other father since then.

* * *

_First Child: I can't believe I did it. It was a little boy, he fell easily into the trap. I can't believe I did it. I am ashamed. I gained a lot of power from him though, but I can't believe I did it. I am a monster._

_Second Child: She was a little girl. It was easier this time, almost like it was meant to be. She gave me a lot of power. I don't have the guilt anymore, after all I had to do it._

_Third Child: I was starved for power before she came along. I actually enjoyed this though, it felt natural to trap her. She gave me the most power so far. It was probably because she was tricky to get._

_Fourth Child: Coraline. I will rememeber that name. After her visit here she had fun, but when I asked to sew the buttons she returned back to her world almost immediately. She realized I wasn't as great as I seemed and I lost a lot of power. I feel drained... weak. Eventually I decided that trapping her parents would lure her back, and I did. But she yet again asked, with her parents and the ghost eyes. I have nothing left, my treasured right hand is currently in a well, with no way of escape._

_I am finished._

* * *

**There you are. I hope you enjoyed my version of how the Beldam became what she is right now.**


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